As disclosed in WO 2005/044512, in order to have a surface finish such as for use in flat panel displays, a thin glass sheet is generally processed such that it is cut into a desired shape and then sharp edges of the cut glass sheet are removed via grinding and/or polishing.
However, this method for holding, processing and carrying the glass sheet has many drawbacks. First, finishing particles may become a main source for the contamination of the surface of the glass sheet. Thus, at the end of finishing, large-scale washing and drying processes are required in order to wash the glass sheet and remove the finishing particles from the glass sheet. Of course, additional washing and drying processes carried out at the end of the finishing increase basic costs of a finishing line and thus overall manufacturing cost. Further, particles and chips caught between a conveyer belt and the glass sheet may seriously damage the surface of the glass sheet. Such damages may interrupt a series of processing processes, which decreases the number of goods found acceptable and thus processability.
To prevent this problem, Korean Patent Application No. 2006-7009339 proposes an apparatus that includes an encapsulating device for supporting opposite surfaces of a glass sheet and a processing device for processing the edges of the glass sheet close to the supported opposite surfaces at a first side of the encapsulating device. The encapsulating device substantially prevents particles, created when the processing device processes the edges of the glass sheet, and other contaminating materials from being brought into contact with the material at a second side of the encapsulating device.
Further, Korean Patent Application No. 2007-0047784 proposes an apparatus for grinding edges of a material by alternately moving diamond grindstones provided on a grinder.
Further, Korean Patent Application No. 2001-0085114 proposes a method of chamfering a glass sheet using a diamond wheel, along with the provision in which a nozzle is mounted in proximity to the chamfered part so that compressed air is supplied through the nozzle to blow fine glass particles created during chamfering, and the compressed air containing the glass particles is then suctioned away.
However, such device and method have problems in that, since they process the edges of the glass sheet using grinding or chamfering, drawbacks, such as glass particles, breakage of the edges during grinding, surface-scratches owing to glass particles, exposure of a worker to glass particles, and the like, are essentially caused. Further, the ground or chamfered edge of the glass sheet may become opaque due to scratches by glass particles.
Thus, there is a need for a new processing method and apparatus for basically preventing the creation of glass particles while ensuring a transparent processed surface.
To solve these problems, the inventors proposed a method and apparatus for grinding an edge of a glass sheet disclosed in Korean Patent Application No. 10-2010-0051062, wherein, as shown in FIG. 1, not a lower part 230, but an edge of the glass sheet 100 is selectively melted by a flame created by a flaming plate 300 via a porous structure 200. However, this method and apparatus are suitable for processing of 3 to 10 inch glass articles for cellular phones or tablet PCs, but has drawbacks, including: additionally requiring a flaming furnace, being unsuitable for processing 40 or more inch glass articles for LCD TVs, and requiring complicated manufacturing processes such as preheating and annealing of the glass sheet before and after processing. Further, there is the problem that it is difficult to regulate the degree of the flame, which may lead to inhomogeneous processing of the edge of the glass sheet.
Therefore, there is a continuous need to provide a new method of easily processing an edge of a large-scale glass sheet as well as a small-scale glass sheet.